Publication date: 29 Dec 2023
Well, the last month of 2023 has come to an end…. December brought some great news from the world of gambling! More and more countries are allowing online casinos and bookmakers, which greatly expands the opportunities for betting and gambling promotion.
New gambling laws: regulatory news
In December 2023, the Chamber of Deputies of Chile approved a bill to regulate gambling in the country. The new law introduces liability for black market operations, establishes responsible gambling defenses and regulates advertising and promotions.
New gambling and betting law in Chile: what to expect?
- The regulator is the Casino, Sweepstakes and Gambling Authority.
- License holders will have to pay an annual fee of UTM 1,000 (USD 73,100) per operation.
- The tax on profits will amount to 20%. Operators will also be required to make additional contributions to responsible gambling projects and Chilean sports at 1% and 2% of Gross Revenue respectively.
- The Tax Service will receive new inspection powers with an expanded mandate, including the new online gambling market.
- A strategy for responsible gambling in the country will be developed by the Ministry of Finance, based on reports from the gambling regulator and the Ministry of Health.
- Chile’s financial authorities, including the Financial Analysis Unit, the Financial Market Commission and the Deputy Minister of Telecommunications, will co-operate in the fight against money laundering.
The proposed law has been sent to the Senate, where amendments and the possibility of lowering the tax rate will be discussed.
In Brazil, the Chamber of Deputies voted to approve online gambling. Only the president’s signature is required for final authorization to regulate the gambling market. We look forward to good news in 2024!
- At the same time, Brazil is improving its legislation: the Communications Committee of the Chamber of Deputies banned influencer bloggers from advertising illegal gambling online.
In December, Curaçao officially introduced a new gambling law, the National Gambling Ordinance (LOK). The new law is intended to hold operators accountable to international standards
- The creation of a new industry regulator, the Curaçao Gaming Authority, is planned.
- Introduction of B2C and B2B licensing.
- Reducing licensing fees from the current €61,700 to €49,200 per year.
It must now be reviewed and approved by parliament.
France will begin initiating criminal proceedings against individuals associated with offshore gambling sites. According to the National Regulatory Authority of France (ANJ), this will require targeted reports to be made to the judiciary. Once this is done, it will become possible to bring criminal proceedings against people running gambling sites in offshore jurisdictions such as Curaçao or Cyprus.
The ANJ announced the set of measures alongside the publication of a new study of the country’s offshore market. The French illegal segment is estimated to be worth between €748 million and €1.5 billion, equivalent to 5-11% of the total legal market. However, this figure equates to almost 52% of the legal online market.
As the most effective solution to the issue of combating illegals, the European Gambling and Betting Association (EGBA) has called on France to make online casinos legal. We’ll be looking forward to that!
Meanwhile, the Principality of Liechtenstein is reluctant to permit online gambling: the ban has been extended until 2028. Meanwhile, land-based gambling in the Principality was legalized in 2010.
Betting and gambling may become more expensive….
Starting from 1 January 2024, gambling and betting in Bulgaria will rise in price: the fees for obtaining a license will be increased 4 times. This is planned to bring an additional $113 million to the country’s budget. The tax on income of gambling operators will also grow – from 15% to 20%.
Italy also plans a sharp increase in the license cost: 35 times up to €37 million. Yet, gambling industry representatives strongly opposed this decision: they believe that up to 83% of the currently operating operators will leave the market eventually.
Player protection: new initiatives in different countries
Armenia starts blocking access to the websites of unlicensed online gambling operators. The new decree amends a number of existing legislative acts. Now only companies that have obtained a license in accordance with the current law can accept online betting in Armenia. Non-citizens of the country are also allowed to play on the websites of operators licensed in Armenia and receive winnings in foreign currency.
Macau claims a dramatic decline in the junket casino market: their number decreased by 21.7% year-on-year. In December, a new law was drafted here that prohibits junket operators from issuing loans to players.
Ukrainian players listed in the KRAIL registry as ludomans are prohibited from issuing loans. Such a law was passed in December 2023.
In Uzbekistan, it is now prohibited to conduct money transfer transactions abroad should they be in any way related to gambling.
Lithuania intends to raise the minimum age for participation in gambling from 1 July 2024: from 18 to 21 years old. So far, the relevant bill is under consideration.
Kazakhstan went further and proposed to increase the minimum age for casino guests: up to 25 years old!
Kazakhstan has also made an interesting proposal: to create a unified register of cross-border pyramid schemes, illegal online casinos and cryptocurrency wallets. The database will be collected from the entire CIS digital space.
In 2024, we will keep collecting and analyzing for you the most important news from the online betting and gambling industry! Stay in touch with 3SNET!
